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ADULT ADHD
Making sense of
ADHD starts with understanding you.
From diagnosis to everyday life and therapy, explore your patterns, needs, strengths and what works for you.
Start here
What is ADHD | Common Symptoms | Subtle Signs | Could I have ADHD | ADHD or | ADHD Assessments | Learn About ADHD
WHAT IS ADHD?
What is the current definition of ADHD
In medical literature ADHD is described as a neurodevelopmental difference that can affect attention, impulsivity, organisation, emotional regulation and more.
It can bring challenges, but also strengths.
This is the medical perspective on ADHD, build your own definition by reading a broader range of perspectives.
COMMON SYMPTOMS
What are the most common ADHD symptoms?
ADHD symptoms form the basis for diagnosis. In adults, some of the most commonly recognised include:
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Difficulty sustaining attention or focus
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Distractibility
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Forgetfulness
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Difficulty organising and prioritising
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Procrastination and difficulty getting started
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Losing or misplacing things
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Impulsivity
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Restlessness
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Difficulty following through or finishing tasks
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Difficulty managing time​
SUBTLE SIGNS
Are these everyday signs ADHD?
ADHD can show up in less obvious, everyday ways - habits, reactions and experiences that don't appear on a diagnostic checklist.
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Over the years, I've noticed patterns and similarities that come up again and again when adults with ADHD describe themselves.
Interestingly, psychiatrists Edward Hallowell and John Ratey were noticing something similar more than 30 years ago. In Driven to Distraction, they brought together 100 everyday characteristics they had observed in people with ADHD.
SUBTLE SYMPTOMS
50 subtle things adults with ADHD can have in common
Not symptoms. Not diagnostic criteria. Just some of the little patterns and similarities that seem to come up surprisingly often.
SELF TEST FOR ADHD
Could this be
adult ADHD?
If you recognise some of these experiences in yourself, an ADHD screening questionnaire can be a helpful next step. It’s not a diagnosis, but it can help you decide whether to explore further.
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Some people find the questions confusing and overlook where symptoms show up in different areas. Read my test advice first for a result that reflects the true picture.
BEFORE ADHD
What explanations have you had before?
For many adults, ADHD isn't the first explanation they have considered.
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You may have been treated for anxiety, depression or other difficulties. Or perhaps you've spent years wondering whether you're lazy, too sensitive, an addict, selfish - or whether there is simply something wrong with you.
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Sometimes another diagnosis is right. Sometimes ADHD is there too. And sometimes an explanation has never quite accounted for the whole picture.
THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS
Thinking about an
ADHD assessment?
Present in child hood and continuing to have impact in adulthood, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is associated with differences in attention, motivation, emotional regulation and executive functioning.​​
LEARN ABOUT ADHD
Interested to know more?
There’s a lot of ADHD information out ther - which makes it hard to know where to start and what to trust.
I’ve pulled together some of the books, podcasts and websites both my clients and I have found most useful, so you have a good place to start.
You can start to shape your own informed approach to living with or alongside ADHD by looking at a variety of information sources.
Each neurostyle will have their own preferred type of resource, pace and capacity to learn about ADHD.